Rebel
by spentlizard
Summary: Toshma Jefkin was the only soldier that witnessed Vader's massacre in the Battle of Scarif that lived to tell the tale. He was the only soldier to survive the Stormtrooper assault on the Tantive IV. He was also one of the few Rebels that served from the war's beginning to its end. But despite all of this, he doesn't see himself a hero. Just a survivor. (Canon Character, Multi-Chap)


Toshma Jefkin was the only soldier that witnessed Vader's massacre in the Battle of Scarif that lived to tell the tale. He was the only soldier to survive the Stormtrooper assault on the Tantive IV. He was also one of the few Rebels that served from the war's beginning to its end. But despite all of this, he doesn't see himself a hero. Just a survivor. (Canon Character, Multi-Chap)

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 _Disclaimer: Toshma Jefkin is not an original character. It's the actual name of the "LAUNCH!" guy from the end of Rogue One. Look it up on Wookieepedia._

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 **0 Years BBY**

Jyn Erso and the rest of _Rogue One_ were dead. The Death Star's superlaser had destroyed the Imperial base on Scarif. What was left of the Rebel Fleet in the space above the planet was all but decimated. The _Profundity_ was in critical condition, having sustained heavy damage from Imperial Star Destroyers during the battle. The ship had been the sole recipient of the transmission from Scarif containing the schematics for the dreaded Death Star. Those still aboard knew they needed to get the plans to the Rebel base on Yavin IV as soon as possible, otherwise the sacrifices made by _Rogue One_ and the Rebel Fleet will have been for nothing.

Rebel soldiers had downloaded the transmitted plans onto a datacard from the computer terminal near the hangar bay. Once the datacard was in hand, the soldier that had it ran quickly with his compatriots towards the door that led into the escape shuttle. He pressed the button to open the door, but an explosion shook the ship and caused the lights in the hallway to go out and the door to jam, leaving only a small crack open.

"Stuck!" the bearer of the datacard shouted, and another two soldiers came and tried to help him manually force open the door to no avail. Desperate, the soldier pounded his hand against the small glass window, trying to get the attention of the other soldiers running towards the shuttle.

"HEY! HEY, HELP!" the cardbearer shouted again, grabbing the attention of one soldier. Just one. His name was Toshma Jefkin.

Jefkin turned his head to the sounds of shouting, only to see other guys from his security detail trapped behind the door. He should run, he tells himself. It would be the smart thing to do. Get out before it's too late. But Jefkin is a loyal man; he knows he can't abandon his comrades. So he rushes towards the door and tries to pry it open himself from the other side, working with the men attempting to force it open.

"I can't open it! It's jammed!" Jefkin explained apologetically.

They suddenly stop when they hear the creaking. The door behind the Rebels has opened, and the hallway goes silent until nothing can be heard but the sound of the evacuation alarm. Jefkin can do nothing but stand there, looking through the small window. The soldiers trapped behind the door turn towards the dark entryway, crouched down and with their blasters at the ready. They hear more creaking. They hear the sounds of loud, heavy footsteps.

And then they hear the breathing.

Darth Vader activates his lightsaber, the red blade giving off a horrific hiss as it cuts the silence of the room.

"OPEN FIRE!" one of the soldiers shouts, and all at once their blasters begin to shoot at the Sith Lord, thinking that with their numbers and firepower that they'd be able to overcome him with simplicity. They severely misunderstood their opponent.

Vader began to block the shots, one by one, rotating his saber with such precision that not a single bolt struck him. His swordsmanship was so precise that he deflected the bolts back towards the soldiers, killing two at the front almost instantly.

"HELP US!" the bearer shouted desperately, banging his fist hard multiple times against the window. Jefkin, hastily, began to pull at the door yet again, still keeping an eye on the battle raging on the other side.

Vader stopped deflecting for a moment, and outstretched his left hand, causing the next soldier at the front to drop his weapon and levitate in the air, arms outstretched. In this moment, the Rebels stopped firing, horrified at this impossible occurrence as Vader slammed the trooper into the ceiling and made his hand into a fist. The Rebels started to fire again, but even one-handed the Dark Lord blocked their shots with ease. The bearer turned his attention back towards the door, he and Jefkin desperately trying to pry it open so that they could escape this monster.

"Hold on!" Jefkin assured. He wasn't going to stand there and let his brothers-in-arms die like dogs. It was his duty to save these men. He had to.

Vader continued pressing through the hallway, not once stopping in his relentless assault on the Rebels. He used his lightsaber to have the guy he had slammed into the ceiling sliced in half. A soldier fired a shot at him, and he miraculously deflected it from his hand back into the same man. Vader reeled his hand back, causing the four soldiers still standing to have their blasters ripped from their hands. He then used his lightsaber like an axe and hacked his way through three of the soldiers, and in the confusion one had picked up his blaster again. Vader then used the Force to grab the soldier and levitated him off the ground while choking him, and slammed him into the wall.

The cardbearer knew the situation was hopeless, so he stuck the datacard through the little sliver and begged desperately for Jefkin to take it.

"HERE, HERE! TAKE IT! TAKE IT!" he shouted helplessly, and Jefkin grabbed the card without hesitation. He backed up slowly, and he heard a howl of pain followed by Vader's lightsaber piercing through the door. The door suddenly slid all the way open, the lightsaber liquefying the metal as it was dragged across, eventually revealing that Vader had impaled the soldier through his chest. For a half-second, Jefkin looked in horror at the sight before him. He looked into the eyes of the soldier who gave him the card, a pang of guilt surging through him with the knowledge in that he'd failed to save him. His eyes then found themselves fixated on the cold, black helmet of the Sith Lord. His eyes were obscured by the dark lenses covering them, but Jefkin saw that this man - for lack of a better term - was staring right at him. He knew he was next. He had never felt more terrified in his entire life.

He quickly bolted in the other direction, running past two more soldiers that were shooting at Vader, providing him with an opportunity to escape. As he was running, a deflected blaster bolt almost hit him in the leg, and as a result Jefkin tripped onto the floor as he entered into the ship's corridor. He panicked, and began to whimper lightly, thinking that this was the end. He quickly spun around and saw that Vader was still preoccupied with the other soldiers. He knew they were doomed anyway, and if he didn't act quickly, everyone aboard the ship would be dead.

He got up off the floor as quickly as he could, and he saw one of the soldiers knocked onto the ground. He looked straight at Jefkin, extending his hand in hope of salvation. But none would come. Not for him. Jefkin slammed the button that closed the blast door, and as it was shutting he could hear the screams of the Rebels that he had left to die.

He tried so hard to hold back his tears at that moment.

"LAUNCH!" Jefkin screamed at the top of his lungs. And he just stood there, with the Death Star plans in his hand, waiting either for someone to answer his pleas, or for Vader to condemn him to hell. He probably deserved the latter. He had let his brothers die. He left them to die. There wasn't a single thing he could do.

He closes his eyes, waiting for the inevitable. But the inevitable never comes.

He hears someone pull the release level, detaching the _Tantive IV_ from what was left of the _Profundity._ He feels the motion of the ship as it takes off away from the sight of the battle.

Jefkin doesn't move from his spot. He continues to stand there even after the ship's taken off. He doesn't deserve to be the survivor. He deserved to be another one of Vader's victims. He deserved it much more than the men that died by his hand by lightyears. But no, he was the coward, the one that fled from battle while brave men were slaughtered like animals.

"There he is!" a voice calls out, and Jefkin looks ahead to see Captain Antilles rushing towards him with another trooper. As he approaches, he asks "Do you have it?"

Jefkin doesn't speak. He merely holds out the hand in which he's carrying the copy of the plans. Antilles grabs the file from his hand and says "Good work, soldier. You've done a great service for the Rebellion today."

"I ran. Anybody can run," Jefkin blurted out weakly, "How's that a service?"

"You got us the transmission, Private Jefkin. This information will ensure the survival of our Rebellion," Antilles said, "Take pride in your achievement."

"The people who got you this transmission are all dead, _Captain_ ," Jefkin bluntly responded, with a hint of venom as he said the rank of his commanding officer. Antilles, however, chose not to continue this discussion, and instead walked away, plans in hand, escorted by the other soldier, and before he was out of sight he heard the Captain say "Make sure you secure the airlock. And prepare the escape pods!"

Jefkin slid onto the floor, sitting with his back against the wall. He took off his helmet and threw it on the ground, and then buried his face in his arms as he began to sob uncontrollably.

 _It should have been me,_ he repeatedly tells himself. _It should have been me._


End file.
